A Finnish Proverb -- kind of

As a young adult I picked up a job at the local alteration shop. It was a perfect job while I was going to school.

The owner of the shop was Finnish and one of the neatest people I have ever met. She was quiet, except when she got mad. She held her tongue, except when she needed to speak. She was a romantic, except when talking about reality.

Aside from “seamstressing”, she taught me a very important lesson I will never forget. She repeated the phrase daily -- several times. It became such a part of me that I repeat it to my children as if was one of those “mom phrases” that my own mother said.

“Nothing is hard once you know how.” 

Because she spoke with a Finnish accent, or because she wanted to stress the point, she placed the emphasis of this statement on the KNOW rather than the HOW. And if you don’t say it the same way, then it just doesn’t mean as much.

I love this because of how obvious and simple of a phrase it is. Yet, how often do we insist we can’t do something for one reason or another? Really, once we know something, it is no longer hard.

It makes me less afraid to try something new because I know it is just a matter of figuring it out, or knowing how.

Now, if I only KNEW how to raise teenagers!!!